When I saw this woman on TV I worried if the helicopters would pick her up. Would they say she is too fat? What if it were me?

A few days later, one of the networks showed a fat woman being rescued by a boat; she was tired and dehydrated, and had been refused assistance by the helicopters because she was too fat.

As a former New Orleanian, a fat woman, a co-Chair of NAAFA, and as a caring human being, and on behalf of the Board of Directors of NAAFA, I am writing to all of the members of NAAFA, their friends and families, to ask for your help in this crisis that is the aftermath of Katrina.

We have seen the results of what we hope will be the worst natural disaster any of us will ever live through. We ask ourselves, what can I do? After we've made contributions to the Red Cross or Salvation Army, there must be something else.

I thought of the woman in the picture and remembered my worst fears. Then I went on the Internet to see what we could do.

New Orleans, statistically, has the fattest population in the US. There are numerous locations where survivors are being helped, places that are looking for large size clothing for the survivors. NAAFA asks that you do whatever you can to help our fat brothers and sisters of the Gulf Coast.

Some women reported wearing garbage bags because there was no large size clothing available.

Many of the people still holding out and even those who have left, are devastated by the loss of their family, their homes, their belongings, and their pets. For many people their pets ARE their families. Organizations that are going back into the areas to try and rescue pets, and help them until they can be reunited with their owners also need help. Contact:

http://www.noahswish.com
http://www.fourwetfeet.com
http://www.la-spca.org

From veteran reporter Doug Ireland: "If you'd like to make a donation that will actually help the poorest citizens of New Orleans, Biloxi, and the many small Southern towns devastated by Katrina, you should do so through the American Friends Service Committee. They've established a special Hurricane Relief fund. The AFSC was founded by Quakers in 1917 to provide conscientious objectors with an opportunity to aid civilian war victims. It's still Quaker-run, and has a century of history of lean, effective, on-the-ground service to victims of war and famine. A gift to the AFSC won't be wasted."

The NAACP, America's oldest civil rights organization, "is setting up command centers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama as part of its disaster relief efforts. NAACP units across the nation have begun collecting resources that will be placed on trucks and sent directly into the disaster areas. Also, the NAACP has established a disaster relief fund to accept monetary donations to aid in the relief effort. The NAACP has chapters and members throughout the disaster area, and is intent on getting relief to those most in need at the grassroots level." Send checks payable to:

NAACP Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund
4805 Mt. Hope Drive
Baltimore, MD 21215

From Sara Van Gelder, editor of Yes Magazine: "Here are some local groups who need donations to enable them to provide immediate disaster relief. These groups come well-recommended by trusted sources as organizations with a long-term commitment to stricken areas and a strong track record of making a difference."

The Enterprise Corporation of the Delta and the Hope Community Credit Union will use donated funds for immediate relief, and then help people rebuild their homes and businesses in the distressed communities in Louisiana and Mississippi where these not-for-profit organizations have been operating for a dozen years.

Enterprise Corporation of the Delta
222 North President Street, Suite 200
Jackson, MS 39201
Phone: 601-944-1100
Toll-free: 1-866-THE-DELTA (1-866-843-3358)
FAX: 601-944-0808
Email: info@ecd.org

The Baton Rouge Area Foundation is estimating that as many as half a million displaced people may be in Baton Rouge for up to six months. The foundation's Hurricane Katrina Displaced Residents Fund is seeking funds to assist with housing, food and basic necessities for these hurricane refugees. A second fund, Hurricane Katrina New Orleans Recovery Fund, will help those who return to the Greater New Orleans area get back on their feet. The Baton Rouge Area Foundation is a non-profit community foundation comprised of over 300 charitable funds.

Baton Rouge Area Foundation
402 N. Fourth Street
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802
Phone (225) 387-6126
Toll-free 1(877) 387-6126